Apparently the FDA has agreed to review the long-awaited drug application for MAPP Pharmaceutical’s inhaled form of dihydroergotamine(DHE), Levadex. DHE has been a very good migraine as needed….abortive…drug since 1945, with very few serious side effects in 65 years. It is most effective intravenously, second most intramuscularly, and also has a (less effective) nasal spray form(but very safe form).
Now, the Levadex will probably(but not 100% sure) come along sometime in 2013, and is an inhaled version, fairly effective(looks to be not as effective as the injections, but fairly close). Levadex has had years of testing, and will probably be a prety good, and relatively safe, abortive migraine med. The advantage of DHE is that it is a milder artery constrictor in the heart arteries, than are the triptans(sumatriptan, Maxalt, Axert, Zomig, etc…). So, fairly little risk(but a small risk nonetheless) for any heart problems. More on Levadex to come……
